Thank you so much for your love we thank you so much for the opportunity that we
have to be gathered together here and Lord as we have lifted our voices in song
in praise and he you we ask that as we now
worship you in the study of you word that you would speak to our hearts Lord that
you would open our eyes Lord that you would draw us in Father that you would be
glorified here in all that goes on in Jesus' name amen Saul
sixty three as we enter into this song today our focus on this is
a personal relationship. Personal relationship your
personal relationship with God as we enter into the song. It is
most likely
a song that probably it grew out of David's painful experience
during the rebellion that was led by his son Absalom you've probably noticed
a few of the Psalms centered around that experience going on his son Absalom
rebelling against him it is probably something that comes from around Second Samuel
Chapter fifteen verses thirteen through twenty three most likely where
David is living in Jerusalem he's on his way out he's there and the people that
are leaving Jerusalem with him are going before him the different people in all in
and they're passing by him and here is David I want to just kind of get this
perspective here real quick because David is going through
a very trial some time. David is leaving the kingdom
he's leaving Jerusalem he's going into exile. You know it's it's like
he's lost his job he's lost his home and he's lost his family right he's got you
know his kingship which is gone into exile he's lost his home he will be
sleeping in is king size bed instead he'll be out on the rocks you know he'll be
back in exile again out on on the run again or you know you're probably listening
there willingly also in song on the road again you know as they were out there once
again going into this X.
Island and so you know here he goes and he's going into this place
and and it's happening because his son Absalom is rebuilding against him his
son Absalom wanted to take him out his son Absalom wanted to become king he
was Absalom and stolen the hearts of the people in it turned many of the
people against David you can imagine the devastation
of David's heart but yet one thing we know about David is that David
loved God he loved Gone tremendously and not only did he
love God but he had
a relationship. With God and so the song was starting off here in
verse one David Sanger's some of David when he
was in the wilderness of Judah. Oh god you are.
My God. Now it's important that we take
a moment that we stop here and focus on David's statement here because this
statement is a statement of a relationship David had
a relationship. With God it was
a personal relationship. You notice what he says he says you are
my God he doesn't say Oh God you are
God oh God you are the god or God You are the creator of the
year
a verse God your God most powerful or all God your God Most ha you are or
are you are God and there is no other god human though all those things are true
yes things are are definitely
a reality of who God is in the position of gone but yet David here when he
says you are my God He personalizes it
he says you are not just the god you are not just
a god but you are my God I have
a relationship with you you see there are lots and lots of children in the world
right but you see. My children I have
a relationship where and my children come to me and they
can see you are my dad. And they have
a relationship with me they have a relationship that goes on and I have
a relationship with them you see I have
a relationship with my wife she says You're my husband yes you know there are many
husbands there in the world and I'm not saying there are many gods in the world
although there's
a lot of false gods out there but there's only one true God but the thing is news
is you know when we have
a relationship with someone and it personalizes things there is
a connection that is there and we need to have that connection it is so important
for us to have that personal relationship with God You see
my children know and as they grow me
learn that life isn't always easy sometimes
life is difficult sometimes we go through things then aren't fun and we wind up on
restriction or we wind up losing privileges or you know sometimes we have things
that happen and our wife there is not always what we think
is having
a great time but they know one thing first Shirton and they know one thing for sure
is that their dad loves them and I care for them
and that even though they may go through
a difficult time or hard time and time of the trial some time or
maybe some time they may be feeling like. You know they all understand why
things are going the way they're going or why he did exactly in the way he acts you
know or what have you know one thing that they can know is that dad loves them that
he cares for them that he's there for them and that whatever is going on is
something that will pass right there restriction will come to an end
there you know privileges will be returned to them that they are still
part of the family that they have never lost being part of the family you know I
mean they know that and I have some of my children that have gone well like the
pretty well my son Sean has been you know he's kind of done the prodigal son thing
and and he learned that dad still their dad still loves him and he has come
full circle and he's come back around in here is you know I am so blessed that he
is serving the Lord and missionary and all and you know but yet I think he's gone
that way and isn't it me when we have been all the edge of that relationship.
You see if you don't have that relationship and you don't have the knowledge of
a relationship then when problems come about.
Boy you really are unstable aren't you because you really don't know where you
stand you really don't have the security you really don't have that
guaranteed inside of you or are or that
security inside of here you're just kind of out there so it's so important for us
to understand. That we have
a relationship with God and we have that relationship with God through Jesus Christ
. I have really blasted I was driving down Broadway the other day in Eureka and
right there when an old truck stop place was it the place where I used to work on
trucks an army once while the guy with all the stickers parked his thing there well
right there are the street somebody put up
a sign and the sign says it's John
fourteen six for Jesus says you know I am the Way the Truth and the Life no one
comes to the Father except through me I saw that the other day as I was going
through Eureka and I got stopped at the signal and then traffic was backed up and I
looked over and I said what's outside say and I read it I was like. That's awesome
I'm always quoting out verse you know because it is so true comes through
ruination ship right we enter into their relationship we come to know Jesus Christ
as our Lord and Savior and we enter into our relationship with Him and through the
relationship with Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior show also we have
a ship with God the Father and so as we see David here we know is going through
a trial some time a difficult time but he has
a relationship with God and He calls out to God and He calls out to him on the
basis of
a relationship gone you are my God this is personal
it's personal God I know you know very
personally you are my God And it's so important that he is your God It is so
important that he is by God It is so important that we know him on that level.
And so now as we see David having that relationship what is some of the things
about his relationship that we want to one of focus on well first off David says
early will I see you David had to happen and seeking God first thing in the
day first part of the morning early will I seek you and you know that needs to
be our day
a day that was started off by being devoted and seeking the Lord he should always
be the first part of our day not the last part of our day not the part of the day
where we might be able to squeeze them in somewhere but he should always be the
first part of the day early Well I see Q You say well you know
I get up in the morning and I'm getting ready and I go to work well guess what you
know what set your alarm clock
a little bit earlier what are you kidding no I'm not actually you will be extremely
blessed if you do so get up just
a little bit earlier take the time to get together with the Lord just own little
bit earlier in the day and you will find that your day is extremely blessed as
a matter of fact what will happen is you will begin to find that that becomes
a very precious part of your day and that you know what you're not burned out
because of it but rather you're energized because of it isn't it cool how God does
that I swear I find in my life and so he needs to be the very first part of my day
early will I seek you early am I going to look forward to you because
hey here is the most important part of my life. That is the most important
relationship. That I have and so when I get up in the morning it's
a good morning Lord now I don't recommend that you read the book but the title was
great I loved the title to the book Good Morning Holy Spirit I love the title Now
don't go by the book and read it because there's
a lot of stuff in there that's not that great but but the whole concept was you
know when I wake up one morning God is there God is there he never
left he didn't like go to sleep in the other room but he was right
there watching with me constantly and as I opened my
eyes in the morning I can indeed say Good morning Lord Good morning guys I can know
that the Holy Spirit is there and that he is with me because there's
a believe or the Holy Spirit Wells me right there isn't that would what Paul tells
us isn't that what Jesus told us was going to happen then he would be with us that
he would be and us that he would be
a part of our lives absolutely and so we are in dwelt now with the Holy Spirit and
so so I can know that and it should be needs to be the first part of
my day even as it was the first part of David's day and then he says my soul thirst
for you my flash longs for you in
a dry and thirsty lay and where there is no warrior so
I have looked for you in the sanctuary to see your power and
your glory David was in
a very dry place physically and spiritually. You
remember. He's an exile now he's moved out of the house
no king size bed just you know maybe a cot maybe
a sleeping bag of some sort you know out there and so here he is in this
place and during this time while he's going through this here
remember. What he has experienced over and over again with the
Lord and he focuses on his time of worship with Dawn and
he's there my soul thirst for you my my soul longs for you my
flash longs for you in
a dry and thirsty land where there is no water I'm just so thirsty for you Lord
sometimes we feel that way no way we go to work we're out there on the job we're in
the world water is
a type. Of the Word of God and the world is lacking the word is
it not you know is just so devoid of God's word and and you go to work in your
void of his word there except for maybe what you experience on your break or what
have you you know it's just it's not there and depending on the job you have where
you are what you do. You know there's
a lot of companies out there now that people that are in management in and working
with personnel they have seminars and meetings on how to deal with personnel and
how and they and they bring in all these New Age concepts all these secular ideas
all these these you know farts of man and all and and so they bring these
things then and they you know they bombard your mind you're sitting there listening
and there's stuff going on. You know you don't want to leave this place with
a headache Lord when are you you know and all of this if they would just turn to
you and turn to your word we could find out how to deal with people we could find
out how to solve these problems we get find out how to live
a life you know by turning to his word but yet here we are plagued with
these things and sometimes it just feels drawing and thirsty especially when we're
going through
a hard time and just. Long to get into his word and so David says you know
what I've done is I have looked for you in the sanctuary to see your power and
your glory and we need to remember the experiences that we have with God
We need to remember those times whether it was here in fellowship whether it was
a communion service maybe it was on a retreat or maybe on
a men's or women's conference or our whatever it was and you have that mountain top
experience with the Lord you just drift course and he was just so real to you and
he was so present and he was just so with you and then you know you just felt like
there is just this energy and this excitement and his joy and this goodness the air
I'm just experiencing it and you have that mountaintop experience that was going on
and you need to remember those you need to not forget about those you see because
it's remembering those times when I had those those mountaintop experiences that
enables me to go through the dryness of the valleys because
indeed we do go through drive valleys at times and we need to call to mind
those special times when God met us and he was close to us and he was real to us
and we need to be able to also remember that when I'm going through those values
even as David wrote Yes I walked through the valley of the shadow of death I will
fear no evil for God is with me the recognition the realisation that David
had is that you know what there cannot be
a shadow unless there is
a light nearby and when I find myself in
a shadow. I know that God is nearby He's always
nearby and so that's a recognition
a realization that we need to have and so we need to remember those things those
times when God has been so present in our lives and all so we ask why don't
we bury in the sweetness of the sanctuary or that through of the
mountaintop experience on
a continual constant basis why is it that we have those experiences and then they
fade away really seem to be disappearing and we find ourselves in those valleys Why
is it that we find ourselves in those places and well the reason is so that we will
learn to walk by faith and not by feeling we need to
walk by faith we need to learn to walk by our faith by what
we know you see walking simply
on feelings is very dangerous because feelings can be deceptive and if you know
a whole relationship is built upon feelings then your relationship
there isn't having any meat to it it doesn't have any grounding to it it doesn't
have anything that's really going to you to be there you see
a relationship is built on knowledge and it is built on commitment
and we'll see David's commitment in
a little bit here but you know that's where our relationship needs to be when I
have that faith built you see that's when. I can go through those valleys in
those dry times and so God stretches me and he stretches me
a little bit more so I can grow in that so that way I'm strange thing and
my faith grows but as far as just holding on to feelings
you know we are not to be just led about by feelings I
don't know if you guys I know
a lot of you got to see that movie Fireproof there was one quote in that movie that
really just was
a great statement that I just really. Hung on to where you
know they're talking. And his friend the other firefighters
a believer they're talking. And he
says to. You know we need to not be led
by our hearts but to direct to
react this is where my heart should know this is the direction
you see because feelings can deceive us they can lead us
astray and so we need. To go on which we know is
for sure and we know that the Lord is for sure and if you have
a relationship with him then you know that he is real and he is with you. No matter
what your feelings are and so when I have that and I grow and I am which sure and
during those times of dryness I can determine to hang in there and to keep going
because of my relationship I can say I still have God
I may have lost my family I may have lost my home I may have lost my job I may have
lost you know all these things or I may be having strife in trouble in these areas
where I may be going through things I just don't understand that I'm going through
but I still have my God I still have him I have never lost
him because he has never let go because he's the one hanging on to me
the god you worship in the sanctuary in that place
holiness he's with you know difficulties as well
and if you hunger and if you thirst after him he's going to satisfy you he's going
to bless you what did Jesus say Matthew chapter five Verse six he says blasted are
those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for and they shall
he's not going to leave you and he's going to kill you he's going to bless you and
he's got to bless you with His presence and because of David's relationship with
God he says here in verse three because your loving kindness is better than life
my lips shall praise you thus I will bless you while I live
I will lift up my head in your name my soul shall be satisfied as
with marrow and sadness and my name shall praise you
with joy full lips hate. Lord I have
a relationship with you because of my relationship with you because even though
things are going wrong even though things are hard I know I still have you I know
you're holding on to me and because of that I still have a song I still have
a song in my heart because then you see David couldn't go to the altar to offer the
sacrifices to God that he would normally offer you see him because of David's love
for God The tabernacle had been brought to Jerusalem and David with this
relationship that he had with God He would daily find himself at the. At the
tabernacle and the sanctuary there having offerings lifted up before the Lord
sacrifices made before God because of his love for him and when David left
Jerusalem and all the people that were going there with him as the people were
growing there you would read through that passage and Second Samuel Chapter fifteen
around verse twenty three twenty four you find has
a dark and Abiathar they were leaving with him and they had
taken the Ark of the Covenant and they were following David and they had you know
the the Ark of the covenant they were going to leave they would go and the king is
gone we know David loves God we know God loves David and so well we're just going
to take him along with the people or take them along with David and David said wait
a minute guys you need to take the Ark back you need to take
a back you need to put it back in the tabernacle because the people need to know
that God is with them. They need to not forget that they need to remember that they
need to know that the Lord is with them but David's able to do that because David
knew that even though that the ark was there and even though God's blessing was
there he knew that God was with him that God was not locked into
a location that God was not locked into
a piece of furniture that God was not locked into just being in one place he knew
that were never here where that God was with him in God's eyes were upon him and
that God loved him and that's something we need to know God is
with us wherever we go he loves us he we need to develop that relationship and
because of that period has
a song in his heart he could go to the altar and offer sacrifices to go out but he
could lift his hands and he could lift his voice and spiritual sacrifices to the
Lord he were
a Chapter thirteen verse fifteen says Therefore by Him Let us
continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God that is the fruit of
our lips giving thanks to his name by him through his power that he
gives to us. You know enables us to. Go out and to
worship the Lord and to give that sacrifice of praise to God by
lifting our hands in worship and praise and as we lift our hands you know that's
not just some new charismatic thing that they started doing in you know worship
services you know you know they've been doing it for
a long time now there may be some people gone well you know it's still kind of
seemed like
a new charismatic thing no no no you know back in David's day that was part Hebrew
worship is lifting your hands to the Lord you know worshipping you Don And as you
lift your hands to the Lord you're saying Lord I am opening myself up Tolly and
fully and completely to your heart I am giving ke you every bit of my being and
lord I desire to really see everything that you have for me Lord there is
openness between you and me to the fullest at this point in place and so you lift
your hands and you would praise and worship God on with your hands lifted up and
with your mouth you would put forth those praises to God And so here David
knows that even though he isn't able to go do the same actuary to the Tabernacle
but yet he doesn't need to because he can worship God wherever he is in guys so can
you so can I we can worship the Lord wherever we are you know it's great when we
worship the Lord together as a body as a fellowship and we need to do so it's
a great thing to do so but you can worship the Lord at home you can worship the
Lord driving in your car keep one hand on the wheel well you know I mean you but
you can you know. Do that you know we can worship God wherever we are and
praise Him no matter what we're going on and when you praise God your inner person
your spirit you are sure who you are is blessed
there is
a satisfaction that comes along with that verse five he says my soul shall be
satisfied. As with marrow and fatten this and my mouth shall praise
you with joyful lips he's saying hey God I'm going to worship you and when I do
I know you're just gonna kill me Lord it's going to just restore me it's going to
build me up it's going to you to just renew me and so in verse six
David since when I remember you on my bed I meditate on
you in the night watches you David you're
saying Lord when I lay down at night laying in my bad I
meditate on you go
on through those difficult times going through the hardships going through those
trials those tribulations those those things that.
Just cause us to to be consumed when you go to bed at night don't meditate
on those things. So many people do that you know they've had
a difficult thing go on and you know maybe they had an argument with somebody maybe
it was somebody at work maybe it was someone in the family you know maybe you know
they're just worried about you know what's going to happen tomorrow you know am I
going to come up with the money to pay that bill or are just you know whatever
kinds of things and and people go to bed with those things and they meditate on
those things and they are consumed with those things don't do that
don't you that when you go to bed go to bed and meditate
on the Lord focus on the Lord meditate on His Works think about his
deliverance think about how he has worked in your life has he delivered you out of
situations before has he delivered you out of financial distress has he done
a miraculous healing in your life has he healed you physically has he. Spiritually
has he done things is he working relationships have you seen how work think about
that Lord I remember those things that you've done I remembered those times that
you've touched me I remember those times that you worked in relationships I
remember those things and I'm not going to forget about those things were those are
the things that you should never take on those are the things that you should focus
on think about is Deliverance think about is healing think about Jesus you know am
if you're saying well you know right now I'm just so down I just so.
So gloomy feeling you know then I think about Jesus meditate on the
gospels think about his heart. Think
about the leper who came and said If you are willing you can make me clean and
Jesus said I am willing be cleansed think about the blind they came to him
saying you know I want to be healed you know he's like What do you want you know
I'm blind you know I mean I want to be healed OK you know great be healed he will
walk by is
a lame man who's laying there by the pool of Bethsaida hoping that you know
somebody might push him in the water when the water strayed you know because he's
got no way to get there and Jesus goes walking by and you know looks at the guy and
says hey you know you want to be healed it's like yeah man and. Get up you know
pick up your bed and go home and then you know and he knows the guy he's just you
know he has all right to heal but what about his proof visions what about his
privilege and yes life is things are so bleak right now
Christmas-Y.
Rielle. You know it's just well
you know Jesus has this thing about multiplications of blessings you know you think
about the loaves and the fishes and he fed five thousand people once
and then he fed four thousand people another time you see Jesus can take
what you have and he can multiply and to enable you to meet your needs to enable
you to get through to do the things that you need to do there's
a lesson in there for you is the lesson of faith that your faith is being stretched
as far as trusting in him to provide for you trusting in him to get you through
every situation every aspect of life. There's a lesson in there maybe it's
a lesson on you know he's bringing you to a place where gone Laura should be
a better steward Lord I have come to the realization that I maybe shouldn't spend
more money than what I have coming in and you know and so boy I really got myself
in
a pickle this time and you know I am really repentant and sorry and he knows that your
heart is true and sincere and he's because OK you know I'll help you out here you
know whatever the situation is however that situation may work you know there's
a lesson in it for us there is always
a lesson in those things for us and for us to learn them and you know as we
learn those the one thing that we should be growing in is the fact that he is never
going to leave us alone and that he's there for us so when you go to bed at night
don't just think about woes me what troubles I how nobody
likes me Oh oh oh me because
you know Satan will sit on the edge of your bed and pat you on the head say that's
right nobody likes you. Things are miserable
they all hate you you're misunderstood
and it's just going to be that way you know he just says you know he's willing to
sit there with you and you know but I would rather have the Lord with me and I'd
rather be talking to him and I'd rather be thinking about him than focusing on him
and I'll tell you what guys I know from personal experience. The things that I've
gone through and things the Lord has allowed me to go through that is I keep my
focus on him and as I keep my focus on my personal relationship
he strengthens. You know because there's those times when we feel like you know
we're not even
a please don't even give me tomorrow just take me out now. I don't want to hear for
you have you have those days Lord I just I just don't want to wake up tomorrow you
know but when I focus on him instead of the things that bring me to that
place when I focus on him instead of his goodness and his love and His mercy and
you know and I go to bed thinking about those things I wake up go out with the new
hope and new joy Lord I thank you that your mercies are new every day I
thank you for that Lord and then he says Universal he says because you have been my
help therefore in the shadow of your we I will rejoice
my so close behind you your right hand holds me and so
I've come to this place with my relationship with the Lord even though I've gone
through those things and I've got still got
a song in my heart and will you know I still also have joy in the Lord and that is
so important to understand Joy in the Lord people think Joy is you quitted
to happiness and there is
a happiness that will stem from joy but joy he Biblically speaking. Is
having
a deep rooted knowledge of your salvation. Knowing that nothing is going to
shake you nothing is going to take Jesus away from you and that he holds you and
you say I was David say he says my soul follows coast behind you your right hand
God's right hand his power his strength his Majesty holds
Lord you up hold me in your strength and in your power and in your goodness
so if you can't rejoice in your situation you can always rejoice in your savior
you can rejoice in his past help as we saw in verse six looking back and thinking
and remembering lord what have you done in my life how have you worked what kinds
of good things have you done you're always rejoice in his present protection Lord
I thank you that that you're protecting me now and and things aren't as bad as they
could be and that your hand is upon me and that you're going to see me through this
and which causes us to. Verse eight you know looking forward to his future
guidance that he's going to lead me through this that he's going to you know take
care of us he guides us he leads us and he hides you and he holds you so that
you have nothing to fear Don't forget the last part
Romans chapter eight. Nothing will separate us from the love of God right
nothing can separate us from his. And so
having his joy in the Lord having this relationship with him he says verse nine
but those who seek my life. To destroy it shall go into the lower
parts of the earth they shall fall by the sword they shall be
a portion for jackals but the King shall rejoice in gone
everyone who swears by Him shall glory but the mouth of those who speak
Laing's shall be stopped so David rejoices in God or anything
Lord hate and your kind of give me through this already know it Lord you're going
to protect me you're gonna get me through are you going to stop any negative things
that have been going on because it's your heart towards me that you love towards me
that's God's heart toward you what's the one thing that you need to really get out
of this what's the one thing that you need to really latch on to with this about
David and his relationship with God is that David he rejoices in
God David chooses to bless God
he chooses to worship Him you can say I'm just going to worship the Lord when my
situations are going good and worship Him and thank him and my situations are going
to I'm not going to worship Him Now I'm going to thank him and I'm going to praise
him no he worships. In the midst of
a situation so David chooses to bless. He chose to meditate on
God to think about his goodness and he chose to seek God
he chose to seek Him So here it is guys David chooses
to rejoice in God It is
a matter of choice what do you choose today. Do you
choose to have
a relationship with God Is he your god do you know him personally
have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior
a lot of people go to church and he just know of God They know there is God date
while I go to church of course I know there is Jesus of course I know there is
a God but he has never become their god and you made that
choice and maybe you know him as your Lord and Savior but you have been allowing
circumstances and situations in and relationships and and different things to
really cloud that over and and they have been once been in the forefront of your
mind as opposed to your relationship with God
guys choose this day to worship God Choose
this day to have
a relationship with him like with Joshua says Choose this day you
shall serve and as for me and my house we shall serve the Lord
let's pray Father I do thank you so much for your. Lord
I thank you for your greatness I thank you for your blessings Lord I thank you that
this is
a personal relationship. That we have with you and Lord with then that personal
relationship there is a confidence there is a blessing there is
a goodness that's their Lord and. Father.
For my brothers and sisters here today that are here Lord I thank you for each and
every one of them I thank you for those that are very well aware of that
relationship and holding to that relationship and living in that relationship and
doing the things. That are a part of
a relationship and being committed to that relationship and choosing to
have you to be the focus in the center of their life Lord from my brothers and
sisters here that maybe things have happened in their lives and and they have
forgotten that focus they've gotten off center they've gotten off track Lord
we pray that you would help us to get back on track that we would get our eyes back
where they need to be back on you back on you Jesus
because you are Lord save your lover of our soul. May we never
forget. And if there is any that have been listening to this message maybe you're
even here today and you've never accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior
you've never came to that realization of needing to have the relationship with God
And today you'd like to make that choice that decision then. In
this prayer is the sincerity of your heart that
brings forth salvation through faith repeat this prayer in your heart
meaning it sincerely to the Lord and you will be said.
Lord I confess that I am
a sinner and Jesus I believe that she died on the cross to pay for my
sins. And I ask Lord that you were forgive me of my sins I asked that you would
come into my heart to be my Lord to be my Savior I choose this
day to surrender myself to you and
to enter into
a personal relationship with you and I pray Lord that you would also fill me with
your voice Spirit Lord that I would have the power to live the life that you set
before me and the power to turn away from the life that I have led up to this point
. Feel Lord your I AM I open my heart. To you.
All right guys God bless you.
The are.
The of
the hour.
The the. Hour the earth
the I'm bored.
Zero.
At the.